Armageddon Expo: The Mandalorian stars come to Auckland for pop ...

Brendan Wayne, left, on the set of The Mandalorian with 'Baby Yoda' and director Taika Waititi.

A bevvy of pop culture stars have descended upon Auckland for the first Labour Weekend Armageddon Expo in four years.

The pop culture expo, which celebrates stars of TV, movie, comics and YouTube, had to forgo its traditional long weekend celebration over the past few years due to Covid-19 lockdowns and lease disputes over the Auckland Showgrounds venue.

While organisers were able to stage multiple events over Queen’s and King’s Weekend, this weekend’s event is the first to return to the traditional weekend - and organisers are promising it will be the biggest event since.

Events over the next four days include multiple video game tournaments, cosplay competitions and parades, musical performances, battle droids, and a suite of international celebrities.

Alongside stars from Star Trek, Charmed and The Walking Dead are The Mandalorian stars Katy O’Brian and Brendan Wayne. O’Brian, who has also starred in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania, plays the recurring character Elia Kane on the popular Star Wars show.

Wayne features on the show as one of the physical performers for the titular Mandalorian, Din Djarin. The character is portrayed by Emmy-nominee Pedro Pascal, who did perform on set during the first two seasons but now only provides the voice.

For both of them, being part of the major franchise has meant flying around the world for conventions like this, and meeting fans who are able to resonate with their characters and the fantasy worlds.

“Every time I get an opportunity to work on a little project like this, I’m like, first of all, this is something that my brother and I grew up with and follow,” O’Brian said. “So we geek out a little bit, but it’s also weird because you’re part of this pre-established franchise. You fall into this world that people already love and then you feel like you have a responsibility to promote it well and bring joy to the fans.”

O’Brian, who came to New Zealand for the Christchurch Armageddon earlier this year, said she likes the intimacy of conventions like this where you get to spend more time with fans.

That’s something Wayne resonates with. Having grown up in a Hollywood dynasty - his grandfather was Western star John Wayne, and many of his family members are part of the industry - he said he knows what an impact it can have on people to meet their heroes.

“I’m sure if I was 500 deep for a signature, I wouldn’t do it. I’d say, we can have 100 and this is the period I have, ‘cause yes, I am trying to make a living on some level, but at the end of the day, if you’re paying to meet me, unless you really just want that signature ... I’d rather give you five to 10 minutes.

The conventions are an opportunity for them to geek out themselves - O’Brian got to spend time with Eric Roberts while here for her previous Armageddon, while Wayne said he spent a long time getting to know Ron Perlman at New York Comic Con recently.

Once Armageddon is over, it’s back to Hollywood, where the ongoing actors’ strike looms large over the whole industry. Members of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have been on strike for nearly 100 days over concerns about artificial intelligence, compensation for background actors, and residuals for shows that air on streaming platforms.

Wayne said that there is nothing new in this dispute, with concerns over the treatment of actors dating back decades - “My grandfather, he had a three-page contract” - but the hope from actors is that a deal will be reached that sets the industry up for the future.

“Everyone wants to get back to work, [that’s] the bottom line,” O’Brian said. “And we understand fully that a lot of crew members, a lot of people are suffering because of it. But we’re hoping that all of this isn’t in vain and that it’ll set a precedent so that everyone will get better deals in the future too.”

“I’m going to fight for what I need for my family, for the future of my family, for my friends, because if we don’t, and we capitulate, we feed into the one per cent,” Wayne said.

Armageddon Expo is on all weekend at Auckland Showgrounds, starting at 6pm tonight. Tickets are free for kids with a paying adult.